Vehicle tailboard and footboard.



J. H. BOURGON.

VEHICLE TAILBOARD AND FOOTBOARD.

Patented May 2,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

APPLIEATION FILED SEPT-13,1915. 1,181,367.

IIVVEZLOIR/ 64;, ATTORNEY 7 J. H. BOURGON.

VEHICLE TAILBOARD AND FOOTBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3, 1915.

Patented May 2, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

. ,ZW A

W W A OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. BOURGON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE STUDEBAKER CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEVT JERSEY.

VEHICLE TAILBOARD AND FOOTIBOARD.

Application filed. September 13, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH H. BoUReoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Tailboards and Footboards, of Which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in tail boards and foot boards as employed in road vehicles.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby when the tail board is released from a closed position and opened outwardly, a foot board will be presented at a convenient elevation to be used as a step in entering the body of the vehicle.

I so construct my device as to combine thetail board and foo-t board for the purposes described.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, referring to the parts by numerals and designating like parts by like numerals.

Figure l is a perspective view of a tail board and foot board combined in a closed position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same with the tail board released and lowered into a vertical position. Fig. 8 is the same showing the foot board released and lowered in a position where it may be used as a step on which the foot may rest when entering the vehicle. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken in a plane passing through the tongue 23 (hereafter to be described) when the device is closed and locked.

By 1 I designate a vehicle body. 2 indieating the rear edge of the floor of said body and 3-3 the rear posts.

4.4 are right angular brackets secured to the underside of the floor of the vehicle by one arm 5, whereas the other arm *6 is in a plane substantially parallel with the tail board when closed. This face 6 serves as a support for the tail board when opened and when downward pressure is exerted. or when Weight is thrown on to the foot board. The bracket 4 is provided with the bifurcated hinge 7 carrying a suitable pin.

8 is a tail board having a rectangular aperture therein as 9.

10-10 are hinge members secured to the tail board 8 and working in the bifurcated hinge member 7.

11-11 are holes in the tail-board to receive locking tongues such as 12-12, which Specification of Letters Patent.

PatcntedMay 2, 1916.

Serial No. 50,311.

are secured to the posts 3. These tongues are provided with the slots 13 adapted to cooperate with locking means controlled by a handle as 14. Such locking means being familiar in the art, it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate the same in this application.

15 is a foot board hinged within the recess 9 at 16, the board being broken away to show the hinge in Fig. 3.

17 and 18 are supporting straps pivotally connected at 19 and also pivotally connected to the tail board ,at 21.

22- is a hinge member secured to that side of the foot board which is adjacent the outer edge of the floor of the vehicle when the device is closed.

23 is a tongue hinged to the member 22 and of a length to overlap the edge of the foot board.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the device is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the foot board may be used as a seat or as step. In this position the bracket 4 supports the tail board and relieves its hinge connection from a strain incident to a weight on the foot board. The foot board is limited to a position substantially perpendicular to the face of the tail-board by the flexible connection represented by the links 17 and 18. When it is desired. to close the tail board, the foot board is first turned on its hinge connection until it enters the aperture 9 and is flush with the face of the tail board. The tongue 23 is then folded against the face of the tail board and the'tail board is moved on its pivotal mounting. As it progresses in the arc of its movement. the tongue 23 finds its seat between the rear edge 2 of the floor of the vehicle and the inner face of the tail board. The tongues 12 enter the holes 11 and the handle 14 controls the locking means which are suitably mounted within the tail board to cooperate with the slots 13 in the tongues 12. The tongue 23 operates to lock the foot board in its seat in the tail board.

What I claim is:

1. A tail board and foot board for a road vehicle. embodying a board having a central aperture therein. means to secure the tail board at one edge to the floor of the body of the vehicle by a hinge connection and to the walls of the body by a lock connection. a foot board adapted to fit within said aperture in the tail board and connected thereat and to the foot board with by a hinge connection adjacent that,

side of said aperture farthest remote from the connection between the tail board and the floor, collapsible means interposed between the free end of said foot board and the tail board adjacent that side of the aperture nearest the point where said tail board is hinged to the floor of the body, to support the foot board'when withdrawn from said aperture substantially perpendicular to the face of said tail board. v

A tail board and foot board for a road vehicle, embodying a board having a central aperture therein, means to secure the tail board at one edge to the floor of the body of the vehicle by a hinge connection and to the walls of the bodyby a lock con nection, a foot board adapted tofit within saidaperture in the tail board and connected therewith by a hinge connection adjacent that side of said aperture farthest remote from the connection between the tail board and the floor, collapsible means interposed between the free end of said foot board and the tail board adjacent that side of the aperture nearest the point where said tail board is hinged to the floor of the body, to support the foot board when withdrawn from said aperture substantially perpendicular to the face of said tail board, a tongue secured by a hinge connection to that side of said foot board adjacent the floor of the vehicle body when said tail and foot board are in a closed position, said tongue overlapping the edge of the foot board and engaging the rear edge of the floor of the vehicle body when the device is closed, means to limit the movement of the tail board on its hinge connection to a position substantially perpendicular to the plane of the floor of the vehicle.

3. A device of the class described embodying an apertul'ed vehicle tail-board, and a foot-board pivotally mounted on the tailboard and normally positioned within the aperture thereof, said foot-board being adapted for movement to a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the tail-board when the latter is in open position.

4:. A device of the class described embodying an apertured vehicle tail-board, a foot-board pivotally mounted on the tail: board and normally positioned within the aperture thereof, said foot board being adapted for movement to a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the tail-board when the latter is in open posi tion, and means for locking the foot-board in its normal position within the aperture of the tailboard. V

5. A device of the class described embodying an apertured vehicle tail-board, a foot-board pi'votally mounted on the tailboard and normally positioned within the aperture thereof, said foot-board being adapted for movement to a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the tail-board when the latter is in open position, means for limiting the pivotal, opening movement of the tail-board,"an d means for limiting the pivotal movement of the foot-board to said perpendicular relation to the tail-board. v

6. A device of the class described embodying a vehicle body, an apertured tail-board pivoted thereto, a foot-board pivoted within the aperture of the tail-board and movable,

when the tail-board isopen, to aposition substantially perpendicular to the tailboard, and means mounted on the foot-board and adapted to lie between thebody and the tail-board, when the latter is in closed posi tion and the foot-board is occupying its normal position in said aperture, whereby the foot-board is precluded from pivotal movement out of the plane of thetail-board when the latter is in closed position.

7. A device of the class described embodying an apertured vehicle tail-board, a foot-board pivotally mounted on the tailboard and normally positioned within the aperture thereof, said foot-board being adapted for movement to a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the tail-board when the latter is in open position, means for limiting the pivotal, opening movement of the tail-board, and col lapsible means for limiting the pivotal movement of the foot-board to said perpendicular relation to the tail-board.

8. A device of the class described embodying an apertured vehicle tail-board, a foot-board pivotally mounted on the tailboard and normally positioned within the lVitnesses R. E. SCRATCH,

RAY C. GAMBLE.

copies of this patent may be ottained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

Washington, D. GL" 

